£22,000 premium for homes with south-facing gardens

• Homes listed as having a south-facing garden are priced at £22,695 higher on average than homes without, a 7% national asking price premium¹
• Yorkshire & the Humber has the highest asking price premium of 14%. It’s also where homes with south-facing gardens sell faster compared to those without, a difference of eight days. Nationally, homes with south facing gardens sell two days faster
• Prospective buyers searching for homes with a garden on Rightmove up over 100% in June compared to June last year. Total buyer searches were up 56% for the same period²
• The study is based on 400,000 listings of three and four bedroom homes on Rightmove

A new study from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove has found that homes advertised as having highly coveted south-facing gardens have asking prices £22,695 higher on average than those without.

The data, analysed for the first time, looks at just under 400,000 three and four bedroom homes across Great Britain. Those listed as having a south-facing garden were found to have an asking price premium of 7%.

The national average asking price of three and four bedroom homes with a south-facing garden is £369,365, compared to £346,670 without.

There are a number of regional variations, with homes in Yorkshire & the Humber commanding the biggest asking price premium, at 14%. Its well-known rural appeal is added to by its affordability, being the second cheapest region in England. While relative remoteness is high on many buyers wish-lists, associated exposure to harsher weather conditions can be softened by a warmer southerly garden, and agents say it is an extremely important feature when they carry out house viewings in the region.

The analysis also found that homes with south facing gardens sell more quickly than those without, in almost all regions. Again, Yorkshire & the Humber performs best, with these homes finding a buyer on average eight days faster. The national average is two days faster, with eight out of 11 regions all finding buyers more quickly.

A recent survey found that having a bigger garden or at least access to one was the number one thing that lockdown had changed for what buyers are now looking for in their next home³.

Prospective buyers searching on Rightmove and stating that a garden is a must-have for their next home doubled in June compared to June last year. Total searches were up 56% for the same period, meaning home-hunters are searching more, but especially for gardens.

Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside said: “Since the market reopened we’ve seen a huge rise in demand for homes with a garden as buyers place greater importance on outdoor space. For as long as I can remember, south-facing gardens have been viewed as the crème de la crème of outdoor spaces among home-hunters. Longer sunny days means you and your plants benefit from the additional warmth. It doesn’t mean your house will automatically be worth £22,000 more if it has a south-facing garden as this is an average and it will also depend on the size, condition, and location of your home, but it’s certainly something to shout about in a listing as it could mean your home makes it on to a buyer’s shortlist over another property down the road, or even on the other side of the street.

“The key is to have the garden looking its very best for pictures and viewings. A quick lick of paint to a garden fence or shed helps, and it sounds simple but mowing the lawn and putting out a few garden chairs can give would-be buyers the chance to picture their new lifestyle.”

Agents’ views

David Phillip, partner of David Phillip Estate Agents in Yorkshire, said: “Without a doubt, we’ve seen huge demand for homes with a south-facing garden. You’d be amazed at how many people turn up to a viewing and use the compass on their phone to work out where the sun is coming from, it’s a really important requirement in these parts. These types of properties are selling quickly, especially since the market reopened in May. Lots of homes in Yorkshire are in rural areas, and so the trade off from not living in an urbanised area is that you want a lovely outdoor space, and what’s more lovely than a garden that gets lots of sunshine? South-facing gardens have almost become a necessity.”

Belinda Hutchinson Smith, director at Strutt & Parker Shrewsbury, said: “Today, people are more aware of the benefits of a garden and a good south-facing garden or terrace means that you’ll get sunlight to enjoy all day long. Gardens are another room to your house and are an extension to the living space, so the more you can use it the better.

“In the summer, south-facing gardens will thrive but it’s also the light that they provide through the long winters that’s just as valuable. For those with a well sheltered south-facing garden, you’ll find you can often sit out throughout the year. Light is one of the most important aspects of a property, whether that’s within the house or in the garden, both for physical and mental health.

“Without question most buyers will request a south-facing garden, even more so with town properties and are definitely prepared to pay a premium. Some houses and streets will vary steeply in price from one side of the road to another as a result of the direction they face.”

Marc von Grundherr, director at Benham & Reeves in London, said: “We’ve seen from our own research that eight out of 10 buyers want some form of outside space, and homes with a south-facing garden are absolutely much more popular. Having a garden has always been the icing on the cake for buyers, but now a south-facing garden is the cherry on top of the icing – it’s that extra driver when deciding if you really want a property.

“I think south-facing gardens come at a premium in London because typically we’re more limited on space down here. A typical terraced house in London might have a garden that’s only 20 ft long, so you want as much light as possible in your garden and into the back of your house. And London is very built up, especially in places like Fulham and Chelsea, and all those buildings that overlook smaller homes tend to zap up all the light.”

Glynis Frew, chief executive of Hunters Estates Agents, added: “South-facing gardens have always been desirable due to getting the most hours of sunlight in a day. With people spending more time at home now due to lockdown and the rise of flexible home working, it’s little surprise that a south-facing garden is more sought after to make the most of this. Green space and natural light have proven positive impacts on our mood and productivity.”

 

Regional breakdown, asking price premium:

Region	Avg. asking price (south-facing)	Avg. asking price (non-south-facing)	Asking price Premium (%)	Price difference
Yorkshire and The Humber	£288,681	£253,053	14%	£35,628
North West	£303,593	£271,895	12%	£31,698
London	£717,305	£659,402	9%	£57,903
North East	£201,746	£187,133	8%	£14,613
West Midlands	£322,772	£299,734	8%	£23,038
Wales	£277,577	£262,489	6%	£15,088
South West	£405,684	£383,916	6%	£21,768
East Midlands	£305,258	£291,139	5%	£14,119
Scotland	£245,855	£238,259	3%	£7,596
East of England	£439,948	£431,389	2%	£8,559
South East	£537,074	£529,074	2%	£8,000
Great Britain	£369,365	£346,670	7%	£22,695

 

Regional breakdown, time to find a buyer

(from being first listed on Rightmove until being marketed under offer or sold subject to contract):

Region	South-facing, time to find a buyer (days)	Non-south-facing, time to find a buyer (days)	Difference (days)
Yorkshire and The Humber	39	47	-8
North East	52	58	-6
West Midlands	37	42	-5
South West	43	47	-4
East of England	45	49	-4
Scotland	30	33	-3
East Midlands	41	44	-3
Wales	46	47	-1
South East	50	50	0
London	45	45	0
North West	48	48	0
Great Britain	45	47	-2

 

The historic Shropshire townhouse with a beautiful south-facing garden

This period townhouse in Shrewsbury is a charming fixer-upper home that’s still retained huge amounts of character – but one thing that doesn’t need fixing is the garden.

The five-bedroom property has a wonderful, walled south-facing garden to the rear. Bordering the central lawn you’ll find mature fruit trees including quince, pear and apple trees.

This property is listed for sale with Strutt & Parker.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71354859.html

 

ENDS

Notes to editor

1 Rightmove measured average asking prices of 396,158 listings of three and four bedroom houses that came to market between July 2019 and June 2020. The study looked for ‘south-facing/south-east facing/south-west facing gardens in the property descriptions.

2 Rightmove search data, June 2020 versus June 2019.

3 The survey was conducted by Rightmove between Thursday 21st May and Tuesday 26th May. There were 4,692 respondents.